Emma Roddick, an SNP MP and former equalities minister, called Mr Flynn an “asshole” in a cryptic social media post criticizing his candidacy. There were reports over the weekend that SNP Holyrood The group was “united” in their anger at the party’s top MP.

The SNP has a rule banning MPs from sitting in Holyrood and Westminster simultaneously, which should be scrapped to allow Mr Flynn to stand for Holyrood in 2026 as a sitting MP.

“There will always be a strong backlash when someone seeks to do things slightly differently, I’ve experienced that before in politics,” said Mr Flynn, who launched a successful coup to replace Ian Blackford in office. the head of the SNP at Westminster in 2022.

“It’s not something particularly pleasant, it’s not something particularly comfortable, especially when you’re dealing with people you know very well.

“I am not going to hesitate, I am not going to let myself be harassed, to defend what I believe in, that is to say representing the people of Aberdeen South and North Kincardine in Holyrood.

He suggested his intention to remain in Westminster was motivated by a desire to spare the public purse and rival political parties the cost of holding a by-election.

If Mr Flynn is allowed to challenge Ms Nicoll, the candidate would be chosen in a vote of local members.

On Sunday, Shirley-Anne Somerville, the SNP’s social justice secretary, made a public appeal to end briefings by the party’s different factions.

‘Infantile’

This followed an SNP source describing Ms Roddick as a “loss MP who has achieved nothing” and denouncing her as “lazy” in a Sunday newspaper.

Ms Roddick responded by detailing a series of activities and engagements she had recently taken part in as part of “another busy week”.

Last week she criticized Mr Flynn’s attempt to sit at both Holyrood and Westminster in an article on X, writing five sentences beginning with the words P, R, I, C and K.

Sources close to Ms Roddick confirmed the insult was deliberate, with other SNP insiders branding the stunt “childish”.

The SNP has introduced a rule for the 2021 Holyrood elections banning so-called “double working”. It required MPs to first withdraw from Westminster if they wanted to run for a seat at Holyrood.

Mr Flynn claimed the rules, widely seen at the time as an attempt to prevent Joanna Cherry, a critic of Nicola Sturgeon, from entering Holyrood, were “specific to the election” and therefore did not prevent him not to introduce yourself.

He added: “If the party leadership… determines that they do not want me on the ground in the Holyrood elections, I will continue to do my heart and soul campaigning work for the SNP from the bench or from the stands. »

Asked if he was keen to succeed Mr Swinney as party leader, Mr Flynn said he was “ambitious” but did not think there would be a vacancy for a “long time” .